Carlos Goez
Carlos Goez | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth date Colombia |
| Died | December 25, 1990 (aged 51) |
| Occupation | Bookseller |
| Known for | Founder of the Pomander Book Shop |
Carlos Goez (December 13, 1939 – December 25, 1990) was the founder of the Pomander Book Shop. Known simply as the Pomander, this bookstore occupied a modest, Dickensian-style storefront at 252 West 95th Street, situated on Manhattan's Upper West Side adjacent to the Thalia, one of New York's earliest repertory cinemas. Goez established the Pomander in 1975, initially partnering with bookseller Timothy Mawson before collaborating with William Hamilton. The shop’s name derived from Pomander Walk, a hidden Tudor-inspired apartment complex on West 95th Street where Goez resided.
Originally from Colombia, Goez moved to New York to pursue his studies at Columbia University. He specialized in selling finely preserved rare books, hosted literary readings, and meticulously restored and cleaned antiquarian volumes. Norman McAfee, in a 1997 essay, recalls Goez’s routine visits every Thursday morning at 11 am to the Bryn Mawr Bookstore on 79th Street at York, where he scouted for first editions among donated books from Bryn Mawr alumni. Goez was known for his exacting standards and fluent English; he was candid with clients about what they should acquire and often provided sharp insights on contemporary politics and cultural affairs. Despite its small size, the shop attracted a devoted clientele including writers and bibliophiles such as Darryl Pinckney, Eric Bentley, Susan Sontag, Adrienne Rich, and Robert Payne. It functioned as a kind of Upper West Side literary salon that welcomed prominent authors, dedicated scholars, and local eccentrics alike.
William Hamilton, a journalist and former employee of the Pomander, recalls Susan Sontag commenting to Goez during a transaction that only about 11% of New Yorkers actually read the books they purchase. Hamilton also notes that actress Carrie Fisher was among the shop’s valued customers. Critic and The New Yorker contributor Louis Menand has fondly remembered the Pomander as one of his favorite childhood bookstores, highlighting its impressive collection of British and American literature and philosophy.
In 1986, Goez sold the Pomander to poet Suzanne Ostro. Eventually, due to redevelopment projects altering West 95th Street, Ostro was compelled to relocate the bookstore. Carlos Goez passed away in 1990.